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A guide to the sef
Welcome Welcome to the Stargate Expeditionary Force (SEF). You have been selected or recruited for one of the most important assignments in the service of the United Kingdom and her allies. You should already have been through your ten-day SEF Induction Course and be familiar with the contents of this volume. It is here to serve as an aide-memoire for you. Please note that this document is regularly updated - please check the date code on the title page of the document and reference the database for revisions. This document is for both civilian and military recruits, to better enable them to acclimatise to their employment or posting with the SEF. Naturally if you are having difficulties, please approach your appropriate Department Head or Team Leader and they will be able to provide you with more information. If you are having difficulty adapting to the realities of the SEF, such as the existence of extraterrestrial life or the difficulties with working in a top-secret operation, and feel you need to talk to someone about your issues then Medical has a number of trained psychologists and counsellors who are able to help you talk through any issues you may be having. Always remember too that you are subject to the Official Secrets Act. You may not discuss any aspect of your work here with anyone outside the unit, including your non-Homeworld Security superior officers or civilian management. The Stargate Expeditionary Force Since its establishment in 2007 the SEF has been Britain's front line in extraterrestrial exploration, research and defense, inheriting the role from the United Kingdom Gate Command (UKGC). The British Stargate Programme was originally established and run by the British Intelligence Community as the UKGC, but growing extraterrestrial military threats and internal security concerns led to the disbandment of the UKGC and the re-formation of the British Stargate Project under the aegis of HM Armed Forces and Homeworld Security. The SEF is based out of the central SEF HQ and Stargate Facility in the underground complex at MOD Corsham and is organised under the Commander of the SEF who answers to Homeworld Security. Whatever background you come from, you are going to notice some differences very quickly. The SEF is a very small unit combining military personnel and civilians into operational teams, and so its operations depend absolutely on teamwork, cooperation and flexibility of its members. In this way its structure differs greatly from what most civilian and military personnel would expect from a military unit. The SEF is a Joint-Services Unit, meaning that members of all branches of HM Armed Forces serve in the SEF. Rank is therefore expected to be observed as set out by standard HM Armed Forces equivalent rank structure. In addition, although it is a primarily British-run unit, the SEF sometimes recruits personnel from other NATO and EU British Allies. In these circumstances, unless ordered otherwise by your own superiors, respect standard NATO equivalent rank grades when dealing with members of foreign militaries. Civilian recruits may find adapting to life within the SEF a slightly more difficult task than military recruits, especially those who have not worked with the military before. The SEF has been a military institution since its foundation, and while it recruits from all corners of life, be it academia, corporate, law enforcement or elsewhere, it is a military-run unit. For civilians this may mean you are expected to comply with a more rigid Chain of Command then you are used to in your professional life. The range of skills required within it means that not all can be found amongst available military staff, therefore a number of civilians are also recruited. If you are one of them you should be clear that you are under military discipline & legal codes and should observe military courtesies. SEF Off-World Teams At the core of the SEF are the Off-World Teams that form the frontline personnel of the SEF. These teams are an essential element for the exploration of extraterrestrial worlds, handling first-contact diplomacy with extraterrestrial powers and assessing potential extraterrestrial threats, as well as more mundane tasks such as carrying out humanitarian efforts and repair of equipment. Teams are designated by name. Team names are usually based around themes such as Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, British rivers, capital cities etc. Many teams have particular specialties that are the primary focus of their duties, but others have more varied responsibilities. Because of the high-stress environment in which they operate, off-world teams are kept on rotation with personnel assigned to them being rotated to on-base or other duties regularly. Most teams are made up of a mixture of civilian and military personnel, with some Team Leaders being drawn from civilian backgrounds as well as military ones. If you are assigned to a team, your Team Leader, military or civilian, is your first point of contact with the chain of command. Team leaders are selected by the Commanding Officer of the SEF, and as such, they are to be respected regardless of their rank or lack thereof and are to be considered your direct commanders. In many civilian-led teams there is usually protocol in place that will see a designated 'military leader' take control in certain situations where military leadership is necessary. If in doubt, check with your team leader upon the protocol that they have established within their team. Fleet Operations One of the prevalent factors in the defence of Earth and Britain from extraterrestrial threats is the space-borne military capacity of a number of the major extraterrestrial powers. Our foremost enemies the Goa'uld (covered later) are the dominant power in our galaxy and possess vast fleets of space ships. Thanks to the internal politics of our enemies and the assistance of our allies the number of times enemy vessels have got within striking distance of Earth had been fairly few. In the early years of Britain's Stargate usage, the United States Militaries own Stargate Program served as the primary first line of defence again enemy vessels launching an assault against Earth, via their own space-based warships. However, Homeworld security and the Government decided that Britain's contribution to the defence of Earth needed to increase, and as such the Fleet Operations arm of Homeworld Security was established - with the subsequent close-down of the American Stargate Program and the move of American fleet assets to Fleet Operations to form a single multinational unit. Fleet Operations now serves to coordinate the orbital defence of the planet, and the deployment of our planets Space Vessels. As of current Fleet is responsible for Earth's small space-borne Fleet and space-based defences as well as the operation of all off-world British bases. Fleet Operations Command is based directly out of the aircraft test-site at MOD Boscombe Down where Fleet undertakes the development and testing of new air and space craft for Homeworld Security. As with the SEF, Fleet Operations is responsible to Homeworld Security's Commander, as of current the small size of Britain's fleet requires no separate command structure between vessels and all ship Captains report to Fleet Operations Command. Like the SEF, Fleet is a Joint-Services Unit, meaning that pilots and soldiers are recruited from all branches of HM Armed Forces serve in Fleet. Rank is therefore expected to be observed as set out by standard HM Armed Forces equivalent rank structure. In addition, although it is a primarily British-run unit, Fleet also sometimes recruits personnel from other NATO and EU British Allies. Homeworld Security Divisions Because of the nature of Homeworld Security's work a number of sub-departments form a specialized staff that support both tactical commands as well as several branching departments and projects run by Homeworld Security. These divisions are responsible for their areas across the entirety of Homeworld Security from SEF HQ Corsham to MOD Boscombe Down. * Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is a necessary element of Homeworld Security providing strategic and tactical intelligence as well as the development of intelligence networks within the territories of extraterrestrial powers as well as liaising with Intelligence Agencies on Earth. * Internal Affairs (IA) is responsible for the internal policing and prosecution of Homeworld Security personnel in order to protect the secrecy, security and integrity of Homeworld Securities mission. * Research and Development (R&D) is arguably one of the most important departments of Homeworld Security. R&D is responsible for researching, reverse engineering, developing and applying the extraterrestrial discoveries made by exploration by the tactical branches of Homeworld Security. * Security is responsible for maintaining base security across all locations operated by Homeworld Security as well as supporting IA in policing staff and personnel. It is also responsible for the detention of sensitive, extraterrestrial and military prisoners for Homeworld Security and immediate-response defence of any Homeworld Security facility Hob’s Gate The portals that we know as Hobbs Gate, or the Stargate, (also called the Astria Porta in the Ancients tongue and the Chappa'ai to the Goa'uld), are a series of devices, built by the Ancients, that can create artificial Wormholes between distant worlds. Hobbs Gates are often considered to be the Ancients' greatest creation, and so the Ancients are often called the Gate Builders. Hobbs Gate is the preferred term for the SEF. It is slightly more secure than Stargate, making no reference to the device’s function. Hereinafter it will be referred to simply as the Gate. Gates are essentially enormous superconductors, capable of harnessing power from a wide variety of energy sources, especially electricity. When entering through the event horizon, the matter passing through is converted to energy, and then re materialised at the event horizon of another Gate in the network. Wormholes are one way only for matter transmission, though two way radio communication through them is possible. The Gate has 39 symbols, which are combined to form a seven-symbol address. Six of the symbols, representing constellations, indicating the destination's three-dimensional coordinates in space, while the seventh indicates the point of origin. Generally, the Gates have dialling devices (DHD’s, an acronym for Dial Home Device) placed in front of them by the Ancients or Goa'uld that can be used similarly to a telephone dial to select the place where the connection should go. Opening the Gate requires an amount of energy much larger than what is required to keep the wormhole open, resulting in an unstable vortex emerging at the “front” of the device. This energy blast will disintegrate anything in its way; however, the vortex can only form if there is a large enough space (several microns) in front of the event horizon. Gates stay open for a limited period of time; a DHD will force a wormhole to close once the object has reached the other side of the wormhole and no new object has entered, but they are supposed to “time out” at about 38 minutes because a DHD cannot provide enough power to sustain one for longer. When an object passes through the event horizon, it is not immediately transferred to the destination Gate, but rather the portion that has passed through is de materialized and held in a “hyperspatial buffer”. An object that has not completely passed through the event horizon may be pulled out again, and its atoms will be re materialized from the buffer as it is extracted. The gate does not begin transmitting an object until it has entirely passed through the event horizon. The Gates themselves are extremely resistant to damage or destruction: in one case, a Gate survived a direct hit from a meteor, while another was still capable of creating a stable wormhole while on a planet near a newly-formed black hole. Deployment Once deployed to a mission you will go through the gate. You will arrive at your destination, if you arrive at a secure site or command site you will be subjected to security checks (more about this later). We will cover arriving at an unsecured possibly unknown site. Make sure you know the address of where you are going and how to get home. Make sure you know who is in command, who to report to. See Off World Command Protocol * First thing to do is get out of the way. The whoosh will kill you and the Gate can be activated again once its been shut down. Also things might be coming though behind you and you wouldn’t want it hitting you. It is routine practice to break to YOUR right as you emerge from the Gate on a secure or command site. That is where the security checkpoint will be established to receive you. On an insecure or unknown site you will deploy both left & right & take cover to form a defensive line as your team leader instructs you. * Next thing to do on an insecure or unknown site is check the DHD, this as explained above. It is likely to be your only way home. Though it may have been checked before hand is definitely worth making sure it can dial home again. * Lastly is secure the area, check around look for signs of travel or civilisation. This should indicate if your likely to encounter anyone while on the planet. Most planet the star gate is likely to be a local shrine or at least a good monument. * One you know you’re safe and secure always remember WHERE the Gate is located. This is likely to be your only way home and meeting point if you get split up. Getting Home To get home is a simple affair, just dial the correct 6 symbols in the correct order, make sure the area is clear in front of the gate, then press the middle button. Radio though to home base that you are coming and walk though. Always make sure you have the Earth, Delta & Gamma site addresses memorised. NEVER lead hostiles back to Earth. Use one of the other addresses When you arrive you will be security checked. Make sure the appropriate people know you have returned and most importantly, ANY abnormal feeling or problem get checked out by the appropriate person. It is routine to check all travellers through the gate for the mineral naquadah, as this is characteristic of infestation by our principal enemy, the Goa’uld. The (S)tandard (O)perating (P)rocedure for this can be found at Gate procedure & Hand held naquadah detector procedure Communications Radio communications is are an important part of SEF communications, if you have a radio you would be wise to observe the following advice: * Check what radio channels are being used, usually one for base communication, one for snipers, and one for local. * Hold the radio about 10cm from your mouth, press the send button then speak clearly into the radio. Remember to release the ‘send” button afterwards. You cannot receive a reply with the send button still pressed. * Remember at the start of your message to say who you are & who the message is for, and at the end of the message to say "Over" if you are expecting a reply, or "Out" if that is the final communication you wish to make. * Keep pointless radio chatter to a minimum, important communications might be incoming. In all communication be concise & accurate.”X needs help” may be both but it really isn’t a useful communication. State X’s location, the nature of the problem & the help needed. “There’s hundreds of them coming this way, they’re all over the place, there’s swarms of them!” is neither. Give a realistic estimate of numbers, apparent intent, direction “they” are coming from, nature of weapons, if armed & so on. A detailed radio procedure is given at Radio Procedure Reporting & record keeping * Dictaphones, cameras, or camcorders should be carried whenever possible & used at every safe opportunity. * Reports and paper based communications should not be underestimated, since regardless of how well we communicate taking notes is very important. * Taking notes even about the smallest thing can help when someone asks you questions later on. * Make sure you fill out the reports straight after the mission while it is fresh in your mind. * Carry a notebook and pen with you at all times, if you don’t have one ask the quartermaster. Security The first rule of security is that it's EVERYONE's responsibility. Not just physical security, but also perimeter and group security. Even if you're not military you must do your part & you can help a lot. * First, if you don’t recognise someone, ASK THEM FOR ID. ** Anyone that refuses: take them to your CO. *** Identification such as "IT’S ME", and "you know me, I'm Bob" ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. ** Don’t be afraid to do this. If they object get a senior officer. ** If you get shouted at for it, get an RMP officer, you will have 100% support. * Watch the equipment, this is the only stuff we have in the field, it does not leave your sight unless you know who it is with. You will be checked, don’t argue with it allow it to happen. Unless in a life/death situation do not expect it to be even thought of being overlooked. If that is the case, help the people running security, disarm yourself and keep your hands visible. * If sitting down doing nothing, sit down do nothing looking outwards and helping guard us. The limitations on manpower within the unit mean that from time to time you will be required to stand watch, and/or carry ammunition or other military equipment, or perform other general duties outside the field of expertise for which you were recruited. Diplomacy & dealing with civilians Before we start on combat and tactics there in, we shall try what should be our first course of action, diplomacy. For fuller information see First contact protocol and Religious Protocols * True first contact procedure is rarer than you would expect and is covered in document X2349, but normal contact is fairly common to other cultures at different tech levels but some common rules apply. * First remember in many ways we only have a limited number of things to trade with, hopefully you have a neat kit by now to enable trade. It is recommended that such a kit be made up by each of you. Large scale trade and true first contact should only be conducted by trained diplomats * First, though you will be armed, keep your hands free of weapons and out to the sides, with a smile upon the face. Look straight at the person you are talking to. * Remember never to jump to judgements. Other cultures may seem different to us. * Never rise to anger and be careful to show any emotion. Act as if you understand their point of view regardless of personal opinion. * Stick to open ended question, these will give you more answers. * Always reveal a little about yourself first, this will make them talk. * Always avoid lying if at all possible, if you are caught out you will be in further trouble. * Don’t try shows of strength or showing how powerful we are, first this shows our hand, second "pissing contests" rarely end well unless entered into in fun with people you know & trust.. * Don’t be afraid to look a fool. They will underestimate you later. * Give a small present if possible, a drink, some coins, coffee or even some shelter. Once again opening with this can help a lot. Dealing with other races military is usually fairly straightforward. We will be in some kind of formal negotiation or treaty state with them, or we will have to fight them! Dealing with civilians of whatever race can be much more complex. Remember that they may be no military threat to us but they can still carry contagions to which we have no immunity, feed us mis-information, steal our materiel & behave in unpredictable & irrational ways. Remember too that besides all this we need to treat them with courtesy & respect lest we incite their misbehaviour. Always make sure that non SEF personnel are escorted everywhere. Do not allow them to inspect or study any of our dispositions or equipment. If in a group too large to be properly observed by their escorts, confine them to a single area. Try to deal with a single individual from the group. Do not let the others wander. Present this as a matter of courtesy, not restriction. Provide refreshments, seating or shade/shelter where you have restricted a group. Explain that areas are off limits for their safety. Combat This is not a training guide to combat, but a quick briefing on some helpful hints. Firearms Training All civilian staff are required to take basic firearms training & should have received it before arrival at the SEF. This will have taken place at a military base, under qualified instructors. At the end of this course, you will be allowed to safely use, and maintain, a 9mm pistol. After training, you should take the time to practice using, handling and maintaining your weapon. If possible, 'buddy-up' with an experienced member of your team. Talk to them, and learn from them. More advanced courses are available. Once you are confident with your pistol, you should consider applying for these courses, which cover the common small arms used by the SEF. Carrying Firearms When deployed to an off Earth SEF base, you are strongly advised to carry your firearm at all times. You should carry two extra, loaded magazines. Make sure that your pistol and ammunition are in easy reach. They should either in a holster, an easy-to-open pouch or a strong, outside pocket. You should be able to draw and ready your pistol on a quick 1-2-3 count. Keep the pistol loaded, with the manual safety catch engaged. Body Armour Although the use of body armour is not mandatory in the SEF, it is recommended. Again, buddy-up with other members of your team to learn how to put on, adjust and service your armour properly. Dress Civilian staff do not wear uniforms. But you should consider adopting camouflage clothing when in the field. This will be of value to your team. It will help you blend in with the team, as well as the terrain. Our enemies will not distinguish between soldier & civilian, except that a civilian is one of the “protected” therefore a high value target. Carrying a handgun only, wearing street clothing, not wearing body armour all mark you out as such. If you are a military man you will know what to do but a refresher course and some hints regarding off world operations won't go amiss. # Always Remember to take cover, even if nothing is currently shooting at you, make sure that cover is solid (Car door for example don’t stop bullets). ## Know the difference between soft & hard cover. Soft cover like foliage is good for concealment but when the shooting starts you want to be behind hard bulletproof cover if at all possible. ## You are not bulletproof because you are armed. One of the hardest things to teach young soldiers is to take cover & not jump up & blast back because you’ve got a gun in your hands. # If in a lull reload now, you might not get the chance later. Refill part magazines from each other, or loose rounds/stripper clips. Stow or retrieve empty magazines & spent brass. Your gun is an expensive cosh without it’s magazine. # Don’t cross your friendly lines of fire. # Make sure your side knows where you are, otherwise they might shoot you. # Never assume, check and double check. # Listen to orders given to you, repeat them back if necessary. # Listen to military personnel in combat, they really do know best. Know who the military lead for your team # Don’t try to take prisoners. You won't have the experience to properly guard enemy combatents and protect yourself. We rarely have the numbers in the field to safely guard prisoners. # If the situation has broken down into combat you must shoot to kill, don't waste bullets trying to wound or disable. Put your enemy down and make sure they stay down. # Cover each other, moving forward as well as back don’t just leg it at the enemy. Fire and manoeuvre to cover one another.Do the same when withdrawing. # Take time to aim don’t just piss ammo away blazing at nothing, cover fire has it’s uses but not the best way to put a target down. # First aid. Learn some! You are the nearest person at hand to treat you if you're wounded. Have a medical kit prominently positioned. If you are able, make sure someone knows you’re wounded. Tell whoever comes to treat you as much as you can about your injury. If you see someone injured make sure that it is known by the rest of the team/the team leader. It is vital that casualties, even fatalities are recovered. Some of the things to note that are different to normal earth operations: *Resupply is not always easy or possible at the best of times, it is even worse off world. The chances of receiving more ammunition or anything else are virtually nil unless in contact with the Gate. * Be economical with all stores, especially ammunition & water. * Do not pack anything at the expense of another magazine or litre of water. * Be prepared to fill any empty space on your kit with ammo, (even if it’s for a weapon you can’t use) food, and water, these things will keep you alive in the field. * We carry a small number of black powder weapons in the armoury. ** If you’re lucky enough to find volcanoes & saltpetre caves on any planet we visit, charcoal & black powder isn’t hard to make but actually manufacturing saltpetre from nitrate rich material (dung) is a lengthy process, so look for signs of technology round about our Victorian era. * Enemies come in all shapes and sizes your will not always be fighting people, sometimes animals, plants or even energy creatures. ** Be Ready to adapt. Close fighting is a lot more common, especially since tech level can be basic, be prepared to defend yourself in a melee. * Don’t be afraid to retreat, very rarely are mission objectives important enough to lose your life over. * Be sneaky, chances are we are on the back foot in most combat, don’t be afraid to use snipers, traps, claymores, and booby traps to defeat the enemy. We aren’t here to be chivalrous. * DO NOT LEAVE ANYBODY BEHIND. ** The Goa’uld can revive a dead body. ** We all carry vital intelligence and infestation with a symbiote gives the Goa’uld unfettered access to it. ** Apart from giving the Goa'uld their longevity, revival in a sarcophagus can be used to torture a captive indefinitely The unknown You will encounter all manner of unfamiliar objects & circumstances offworld. Many will be interesting and valuable but as many may be dangerous, either through our lack of understanding of them or their being poisonous plants, predatory lifeforms or deliberate booby traps & IEDs. Be exceedingly cautious about touching/ smelling/tasting anything unfamiliar. Be careful not to disturb animal lairs/nests. Look out for trip wires & anything that looks out of place. Even in an alien environment, a straight line in a forest will not be natural. Medical # All personnel should carry a basic medical Pouch. The Medic attending you should have one, but you don’t want to die just because he’s run out of bandages. Carry it prominently. You don’t want to die while he’s searching your webbing for it. # Tend to silent casualties first, screaming get attention but if they can scream there good enough at the moment. Look for the person sitting quietly in a corner & check them, even if they are basically responsive With eyes open, maybe still holding their weapon. Physically check them, don’t just accept their “I’m O.K”. # Dead people don't get any deader, move on to deal with the living. # If the casualty is unconscious check ABC. (A)irway Make sure the casualty CAN breath. Remove obstructions, clear airway (B)reathing Make sure the casualty IS breathing . Check rise & fall of chest. Wind of breath on cheek. Moisture on a mirror. Start artificial respiration ONLY IF NEEDED ©irculation. Check for heartbeat/pulse. Start CPR ONLY IF NEEDED # A little blood goes along way. Don’t assume a wound is the most life threatening injury. Check ABC first then deal with wounds # Don’t put yourself in danger. Help casualties out of danger zones as soon as possible. Any unconscious or immobile casualty is a potential spinal injury. If your position is secure DO NOT MOVE THEM. However, If the rounds are zipping past your head like a biblical plague grab the strop on their flak jacket & drag their wounded backside into cover. This is another good reason for wearing armour. It’s strong enough for your mates to drag you out of the smelly stuff with. # Check on all injuries, again and again. Continue to monitor stable casualties. Shock can be a killer & can set in well after the initial injury. Its better that an injured man is checked 5 times, than you assume he's been checked once. Any patient unconscious or in danger of falling unconscious should be put in the recovery position IF THEY CAN BE SAFELY MOVED. Know who the medic in your team, or any team you’re out with, is. If you don’t have basic first aid/CPR training, get trained. At some point YOU are going to be the closest to a serious casualty. YOU will make the difference to whether they live or die. Emergencies Any number of emergency situations may arise. By their very nature it is not possible to give detailed information in an introductory document like this. Emergencies do tend to have certain common outcomes & preparation can be made for these. See, amongst others Biological & Chemical Exposure If you are in the area of a Chemical, Radiological Biological (CRB) incident: * Move away quickly. Do not approach until your HazMat Team has dealt with the issue and given the all clear. * Wash with soap and water. * Contact appropriately equipped team * Seek medical attention if you become sick. Seek shelter in an interior room of a building if possible. Move upwind of the problem area. If you are exposed to a CRB agent: * Remove and bag your clothes and personal items. Follow official instructions for disposal of contaminated items. Wash yourself with soap and water and put on clean clothes. * Seek medical assistance. You may be advised to stay away from others or even quarantined. Even if you haven't any symptoms. Treaties In regard to various treaties on Earth and the question do they apply in the SEF: YES A number of reasons, first legally even if the other side doesn't know these treaties exist they still apply. And even if they aren’t human if they can understand the treaty it will apply (for example the Human rights treaty in fact would break itself if it DIDN’T apply to sentient aliens.) Second, because we are better than the Goa’uld, we do not need to resort to torture and other underhanded methods to complete our missions. Her Majesty, the Queen, through her Government require it to be so. It is British Government Policy that all British armed forces adhere to all the relevant treaties, conventions, articles of war etc. It is expedient to do so. We do not make friends and alliances around the galaxy by behaving in a brutal & inhumane way. If anyone does not understand this there is a full 2 hours lecture ready to explain in detail. If you break these you can expect the full extent of the law is brought to bear. As long as we remain a “black” operation it is unlikely that we will ever be called to book for our actions but it is crystal clear that we have no “get out of jail free” card in respect of our treaty obligations. If or when we cease to be a black operation public scrutiny will judge us against our adherence to those treaties & so on. It is in our own interest to make sure we can stand up to that scrutiny. We must accept that we do not live in an ideal world. This organisation would not exist if we did! We are in a “force majeure” situation with any non militarisation of space statutes. The Goa’uld are out there with military forces. We have no choice but to match them or surrender. There may be treaties amongst the other races, that we have no knowledge of & hence cannot know if we are in breach of them. As with ordinary soldiers everywhere we have to trust our superior officers that the framework within which we operate is just & legal, however on the ground it is our own responsibility to ensure that we behave in a civilised manner, avoid inflicting civilian casualties etc. Finally The document is under continuous development. Paper copies are provided for reference purposes but the developing master document will be stored in the Wiki database. Make sure you check regularly for updates, particularly new or changed SOPs. ---- Back to New recruit guide Category:General Information